The Heiress's Game

Meng Wanqing sat on the sofa in the living room, clutching her phone. A string of blisters appeared on the corner of her mouth, and her throat felt like it was blocked by a ball of fire that no amount of water could extinguish.

On the mahogany coffee table in front of her lay a pile of documents—property certificate, mortgage contract, investment redemption slip, and several loan agreements that had not yet been signed.

The bank will only provide the loan until tomorrow.

Five hundred million in cash, not a single penny less.

She has barely slept since she heard the news, turning every possible channel into a maze.

In the years since she married into the Bai family, Bai Jingchuan has treated her well, providing her with the best of everything, and she has indeed acquired quite a few properties.

However, most of these properties are real real estate. Over the years, as the wife of the Bai family, she has always believed in a simple principle: bricks are the most stable and real estate is the best store of value.

Buying houses and land is always a good idea.

But she now realizes that bricks are just a pile of useless stones in the face of a flood.

The real estate downturn in the past two years has come suddenly and violently. The market value of the properties under her name has shrunk by nearly 30%, and some shops have been vacant for more than half a year and cannot be rented out.

She could get money out of collateral, but the process couldn't be completed in half a day. Bank assessment, review, and loan disbursement—each step takes time. Time was her biggest weakness.

She has never worried about money in her life. Back in Taicheng, although the Meng family was not a top-tier wealthy family, it was still a family that had been running for generations. She grew up in luxury.

This was especially true after she married Bai Jingchuan. Whenever she needed funds, she could ask either her family or Bai Jingchuan for help.

But this time is different. This time the hole is too big, the time is too tight, and the cash she has on hand has been completely squeezed out during the last share buyback to support the market.

Bai Wenxiong sat on the sofa opposite her, his fingers running through his hair, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

The ashtray in front of him was piled with several cigarette butts, the last one still emitting a thin wisp of smoke.

Meng Wanqing looked at her son, her heart aching with heartache.

Her son, Wenxiong, was competitive from a young age and never wanted to lose to anyone.

She was always proud of her son, but also always worried that his strong will might lead him to stumble.

Now that he's fallen, she, as his mother, can't just pick him up, dust him off, and be done with it like she did when he was a child.

A fall of 500 million is too heavy.

"Why don't you go find your dad?" Her throat was dry, and she picked up the glass of ice-cold chrysanthemum tea on the table and took a big gulp.

"Mom really can't come up with 500 million in cash."

Mortgages on real estate take time. Taicheng already raised funds once before, so they're asking again now.

Your uncle can't come up with that much cash right now, and besides your dad, no one can help in this emergency.

Bai Wenxiong looked up at her, his lips moving slightly.

He wanted to say, "My dad just gave it to me," he wanted to say, "I don't want to ask again," he wanted to say, "What will he think of me if I do that?" But he had already argued with her about these things once before, and he didn't have the strength to repeat them now.

He remained silent, his fingers sliding down his hair and hanging limply on his knees.

As Meng Wanqing watched the light in her son's eyes dim little by little, the fire in her heart surged up again.

She knew what her son was thinking. He was afraid of disappointing Bai Jingchuan, afraid that his grandfather would look down on him, and afraid that the Bai family would gossip behind his back.

She was also afraid. After being married into the Bai family for so many years, her biggest fear was that she wouldn't be considered good enough in the eyes of Bai Jingchuan and the old man.

But I can't worry about that now.

"If all else fails," she gritted her teeth, "I'll go to the old man. I'll swallow my pride and kneel down to beg for 500 million."

Bai Wenxiong suddenly raised his head: "Mom—"

"Listen to me," Meng Wanqing raised her hand to stop him.

"You are the old man's own grandson, and Brilliant International is a company that he personally handed over to you."

He can't just stand by and watch you die. I know your dad loves you.

Having just given away 200 million, he's now asking for more. It doesn't look good, but it's better than losing the company.

As long as Brilliant International remains in your hands, there will be plenty of opportunities to turn things around in the future.

"If Brilliant International disappears, my son and I will truly have nothing left in the Bai family."

Bai Wenxiong's throat was so tight he couldn't speak. His mother had spent her whole life in the Bai family, always fearful and obsequious, placing all her hopes on him.

Now, not only has he failed to make her proud, but he has also forced her to kneel and beg for help at her advanced age.

Just then, Bai Wenxiong's cell phone, which was on the coffee table, suddenly rang.

It's so late, I have a very bad feeling.

He answered the phone.

"Wenxiong, quickly check the news."

Bai Wenxiong's fingers stiffened for a moment.

He hung up the phone and opened a financial news app.

Several headlines related to him appeared on the homepage's featured section: "Huihuang International's Pledge Risk is High, and the Actual Controller's Share Pledge Ratio Has Reached the Red Line."

Banks may tighten credit, putting pressure on Brilliant International's cash flow.

"Huihuang International's stock price fluctuated during trading; market rumors suggest the actual controller is facing financial difficulties."

His fingers mechanically scrolled down, each headline more direct and ruthless than the last, the text citing anonymous sources, detailing his stock pledges, bank collection efforts, and cash flow depletion.

"Wenxiong, what's the news?"

Before Bai Wenxiong could reply, his phone was bombarded with countless messages almost simultaneously.

The company's public relations director, legal department head, several major clients with substantial shareholdings, and several close friends in the industry who usually treat him like a brother.

Everyone's questions are asking the same thing: Is the news true? Is there really a problem with Brilliant International's financial chain?

He couldn't possibly reply to anyone right now, because his eyes were glued to the constantly changing real-time market data at the bottom of the screen.

The stock price of Brilliant International is falling.

There was selling pressure, with a large number of sell orders appearing in after-hours trading, totaling 118.

One hundred and fifteen.

One hundred and twelve.

With each jump in the numbers, his heart sank an inch.

Those news reports, those anonymous leaks that seemed to appear out of nowhere, swarmed in like vultures drawn by the scent of blood, and investors in the market were already terrified by them.

Panic selling will erupt like a flood as soon as the market opens tomorrow morning.

How low will the stock price fall then? One hundred dollars? Eighty dollars? Or even lower?

When Meng Wanqing saw the news headlines and the constantly fluctuating stock prices, her face turned deathly pale in an instant.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but her lips trembled so badly that no sound came out.